All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.
Richard Avedon
The history of photography has been marked by several striking, famous photos which have been etched into the minds of people across the globe; iconic images and subjects that speak a thousand words. Whether they entered the public eye as famous photojournalism photos, fashion photography, landscape photography, portraiture, documentary photography of historical events, or art photography, the most famous photographs in history come from a variety of genres and eras.
These famous photojournaism photos have not only made a mark on the world, but they have also made the photographer famous, too. Renowned and great photographers such as Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Raymond Depardon and Robert Doisneau aren’t the only ones to have left behind an impressive legacy!
Many documentary photographers and photojournalists are among those responsible for the most famous photos of all time, and they have the influential nature of their work to thank for their success.
1. Le Baiser de l’Hôtel de ville by Robert Doisneau
Published in Life magazine in 1950, Doisneau’s photograph, ‘Le Baiser de l’Hôtel de ville’ (or ‘The Kiss at the Hôtel de ville’ in English) is regarded as one of the most famous pictures in the world.
This black and white photograph has also become a symbol of the humanist photography movement.
This movement was driven by Robert Doisneau, who strove to capture the essence of humanity at a Parisian street café on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, in the years following the Second World War.
As France was in a state of disrepair following the war, a large amount of Doisneau’s work depicts citizens of Paris in their everyday lives. This included school pupils and couples as well as homeless people. Photographing the people of Paris in this way gave Doisneau a means of creating a portrait of French society at that time.
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2. The Vulture and the Little Girl by Kevin Carter
This photograph has been viewed controversially for a long time. Taken in 1993 by young photographer Kevin Carter, the moment depicts the consequences of famine in South Sudan. Kevin Carter sought to bear witness to the difficulties faced by those affected and provoke a reaction on an international scale by capturing the scene of a young, starving girl curled up on the ground. It was later learnt that the young girl (who turned out to be a boy) in the photograph had been found alive and well. Carter won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography; however, he was accused of having not aided this situation.
Four months after being awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, Carter died of suicide on 27 July 1994.
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3. Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry
Taken in June 1984, the portrait of the young Afghan girl known as Sharbat Gula is one of the most recognizable in the world, capturing the attention of millions when it was featured on the cover of National Geographic in 1985. At the time this photograph was taken, Sharbat Gula was twelve years old, living as a refugee in a camp on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, during the Soviet-Afghan War.
Perhaps the most striking part of this portrait is the young girl’s piercing green eyes, which convey a mix of vulnerability and resilience, making the image both haunting and unforgettable. Taken by photojournalist Steve McCurry, this photograph transcends its documentary roots to become a universal symbol of the plight of refugees. As McCurry took this photograph while traveling in Pakistan, the Afghan Girl can be appreciated as an iconic example of travel photography as well as an evocative work of portraiture that captures a moment in history with profound emotional impact.
4. Heart of Voh by Yann Arthus Bertrand
The Heart of Voh (or Cœur de Voh, as it is called in French) is one of the world’s most famous pictures from the not-so-famous Yann Arthus Bertrand. Taken in 1990, the photograph represents the mangrove, a forest between land and water in New Caledonia. This type of vegetation covers over 75% of tropical land, representing 15 million hectares around the world. When taking this photo, Bertrand, a keen landscape photographer, hoped to raise awareness about the environmental issues in the area.
What is the meaning behind the Heart of Voh for you?
5. Tank Man by Jeff Widener
Tank Man, which was taken in 1989, is the symbol of one student’s rebellion against the suppression of the Chinese army. This photograph was taken at a demonstration against corruption.
As the number of demonstrators continued to grow, the Chinese government made the decision to use the force of the army to restore order. The driver of the tank refused to keep moving forward, contrary to the orders of his superiors.
6. V-J Day in Times Square by Alfred Eisenstaedt
It was at the end of the Second World War that photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured this moment between an American sailor and a nurse in Times Square. This photograph, which was published in Life Magazine, was taken on 14th August 1945 – the day that Japan surrendered to the Allies. Just as with Doisneau’s Baiser de l’Hôtel de Ville, many people claimed to be the kissing strangers captured on camera.
Eventually, the lady in the photograph was identified as Greta Friedman, who was an Austrian-born American who was photographed being grabbed and kissed by Navy sailor George Mendonsa. After some time, it became known that the kiss had not been consensual.
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7. The Terror of War by Nick Ut
The Vietnam war, which took place from 1955 to 1975, was incredibly controversial. People campaigned for the war and the massacres (represented by this photograph) that came with it to be brought to an end.
Phan Thi Kim Phuc, also known as the Napalm Girl, is the girl running in the picture after a napalm bomb was dropped on a group of South Vietnamese soldiers and civilians by a plane from the South Vietnam Air Force. Phan Thi Kim Phuc had to undergo 17 skin grafts following the incident depicted in the picture.
After the photographer Nick Ut took the picture, he rushed the girl and other injured children to the hospital, saving their lives. Phan Thi Kim Phuc moved to Canada and became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
8. The Agony of Omayra Sànchez by Frank Fournier
The story behind this photograph is nothing but tragic. The piece taken by the French photographer Frank Founier depicts a young Colombian girl named Omayra Sánchez, who was trapped in the debris of her home following the volcanic eruption disaster of Nevado del Ruiz in 1985.
Emergency services were unable to rescue Omayra in time as she was stuck beneath mud and debris. The 13-year-old girl eventually passed away, still trapped in front of the helpless people present at the scene, which caused great indignation.
Frank Fournier's portrait of Omayra Sánchez won the 1986 World Press Photo of the Year award.
9. Woman Resists Eviction in Manaus by Luiz Vasconcelos
Some believe Brazil to be the land of greed. Luiz Vasconcelos' photograph shows the woman resisting the Brazilian forces, who had come to claim land for the state. What makes this photograph even more important is its publication despite the treatment of journalists by the Brazilian government. This photograph is a symbol of resistance, dignity, and a criticism against systemic violence.
How Woman Resists Eviction in Manaus makes you feel?
10. Bliss by Chuck O’Rear
In January 1995, Chuck O’Rear, a National Geographic photographer, took this photograph in Napa County in California. Bliss rose to fame as the default desktop background for Windows XP. Several of O’Rear’s other works have also been used as backgrounds.
11. Saigon Execution by Eddie Adams
Adam's shocking photograph helped bring an end to the war:
At the height of the Vietnam war, photographer Eddie Adams followed the Vietnamese army over the course of a few days. He was present for the execution of the Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém by South Vietnamese General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan. After winning the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography, Adams said:
"The general killed the Vietcong; I killed the general with my camera."
Eddie Adams
12. Guerrillero Heroico by Alberto Korda
Alberto Korda’s portrait of Che Guevara is everywhere. As a well-known symbol of Marxism, this photograph is printed on on t-shirts, bags and stickers.
But what is the story behind this portrait? The photograph was taken in 1960 as a memorial for the victims of the explosion at La Coubre. The Guerrillero Heroico had become one of the most important photos in history.
13. The Death of Aylan by Nilüfer Demir
The image of the Syrian 3-year-old boy, Aylan Kurdi, found dead on a Turkish beach, who had drowned along with his family while trying to cross the Aegean Sea, escaping the Syrian civil war, stopped the world’s news in September 2015. The picture exposes the consequences and grief faced by refugees and migrants.
Photographer Nilüfer Demir explained that by photographing them, he simply wanted to capture the trauma these people had experienced.
Guerrillero Heroico was declared the most famous photograph in the world by the Maryland Institute of Art.
14. The Falling Man by Richard Drew
Taken during the horrors of the attack on the World Trade Center on 11th September 2001, the famous photograph of the falling man shows a man jumping from a high floor of one of the twin towers. Several people threw themselves into the air to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes as the buildings burned.
During an interview, Drew was asked when he started making pictures after the plane had hit the World Trade Center, to which he replied: "The minute I came out of the subway."
15. The Burning Monk by Malcolm Browne
A Buddhist monk named Thich Quang Duc immolated himself on the streets of Saigon on June 11, 1963, in a harrowing act of protest against the oppressive treatment of Buddhists under President Ngo Dinh Diem’s regime in South Vietnam. This deliberate and self-sacrificial act was intended to draw international attention to the persecution faced by Buddhist communities, particularly their restricted religious freedoms and the violent suppression of dissent. Malcolm Browne, the only Western journalist at the scene, managed to capture a photograph that would become one of the most iconic and shocking images of the 20th century.
The stark composition of the monk engulfed in flames, sitting calmly in meditation as he burned, serves as a poignant symbol of resistance and the ultimate sacrifice for a cause. This image not only brought global scrutiny to the Diem regime but also played a significant role in shifting public opinion and policy, marking a turning point in both the Vietnam War and the global civil rights movement.
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Heart warming and heart breaking.